Handle replacement for valve stems



Feb. 20, 1940. w. ASHENDORF HANDLE REILACEMENT FOR VALVE STEMS Filed May 6, 1939 MZL/A/W ASHE/V0055 INVENT OR.

ATTORNEYS.

a 2st Patented Feb. 20, 1940 g This: :timzentionr;v relates: to vimprovementsainrz handlesxlforwalvje stems and more-particularly. to-r:

agreplacementrhandle therefo'rl-z"- Steam :zvalvle handles faucetthandies,= and the stem ilby'; a screw whichzxisi passedfthrough the handle:.and.v..threadsi into? the souter end :iof the} stem: axially? thereof; Itais :ra :common practic'e 1 forlrhandle; fastening iiscrews'iofita steam: or :hot lllfiwvateraradiatorf valve to ,break off: in' the threaded v v bore of the valve stem which-:requires drilling to cleanzthez threaded bore and re-threading of the boreto;'effecixareplacement01intheuhandlel v method :of Frepair fisiirexpensive in vie w 'of the-e lwlabonzrequired and 'ftheiaother'ralternative to replace1etlie .==broken1valve iby a 'new 'on'e :whichisisalsbazcostlyr due eto: the -:cost'-' -"f" 'a anew'-= valveands the;alaborc requiredrain disconnecting th v brokenfrzvalve and installing :.'the: new one; It gwrisrsthereforeithe primary :object 'of 'this inven-r tionztoz: expeditiously and inexpensivelyreplace I a handlezupon a 'ivalve stem? when: the origin'al fastening means i is renderedruseless "by the' con ditionsiset': forth above a 7 Another feature-f th i inventionr' resides in- 1 a ha-nd1e:t-'replacement: T fors rvalv'es which 51 may be sold in hardware and other:stores for a nominal cost, and installed upon a valve stem in lieu' 'of aaibrokenioriginali handle, by any one unskilled in the art of plumbing and steam fitting repair.

Other features of the invention Will be appreciated as the following specificationis read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which: r

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a steam .or hot water valve equipped with my replacement handle.

Figure 2 is a top plan view.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on theline 3-3.of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. I

Figure4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical sectionalview on the line 5-5 of Figure 2. Y

' Figure 6 is a detail perspective View. of the coupling member per se.

Figure 7 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the coupling member as it ap pears before .being fitted to the top end" of a valve stem; 7 v j Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the numeral l0 designates a steam or, hot water valve provided with the usual rotatable stem H. The ears l6-I6 are provided with I handle member 2| which comprises a hand grip valvestem'-*'l 'rmupper end-bf the valvestenr l l is.- --square as-'= s=atil 2; and is usually provide'd with"'"a*tl'ireaded recess I3 extendinginwardly" from' tlief 'square outerend thereof; Ordinarily, the ha'nd 'grip of the valve-"is"attached to the stem l I 15 byfa screw" whichpasses centrally througlrff-th handgrip and threads in the access,

I 3. It is not-uncommon -for the fastening screws tobreak oif in the recess; and" in Figure 4 'a portion of: a brokn screw -has --been= shown 1 in therec'ess 13; My invention now-to be 'describ'ed is intended for-"usein securing handle-replace 1 merits to the=-'valve 'stem*when a conditiomsucW as explainedoccurss My improved handle mplacementincludes a =15? coupling memb'e'i I 4 wh'ich -is' preferably made of malleable metal such as brass and comprises a square upwardly tapered body} S 'and 'fOrmed integral-'- with' the -'body- 15 and; extendingfrom opposite sidesthereof are flat ears 'I 6. The body l 5-isprovided with anopening which 'extends-entirelytherethrougn the 'lower portion lT of-the openirig being roundin cross section so-astd=receiv-the "upper round-portion of the valveeternal I1 while the upper" portion *of' the opening" is square'-=irf=cross= section'and i is -de'sighated-48f th'eti opposedwallsf of "the'-'square"--portion [8 converging :upwardly as -best"illustrate d in =Figure 7" of the drawing and which" square portionis intended to receive the squared portion l2 of the valve stem ll. Threaded into one side of the body l5 adjacent the base thereof, is a .set 'screwl9, the set screw entering the opening at the round portion l1 and. adapted to engage the upper round'portion of the valve threaded openings 20-20. I

Attachable to the coupling member I4 is a body 22 preferably constructed of a composition of material having'a lowfheat absorption, and which may be in the form of Bakelite, wood, hard rubber, or the like. The .hand grip body 22'is provided with a relatively deep central recess 23 which opensthrough the under side of the body and is of ashape complementary to the shapeuof the body l5- of the coupling member H. The underside of the body 22 at opposite 'sides of the recess 23 is provided with shallow I recesses or countersinks 24-24 which are comp'leme'ntary to the ears lG-JG, wheneby the handle member 2| may be fitted snugly upon the coupling member .14.

'When effecting an attachment of my handle replacement to the valve'stem 'H, the operator the rounded portion ll of the opening fitting about the rounded portion of the valve stem and with the square portion [8 of the opening receiving the squared end l2 of the valve stem.

The operator next applies the screw driver tothe set screw l9 and tightens the same against the valve stem ll, thus completely efiectirig a fixed attachment of the coupling member l4 to the upper end of the valve stem H. The operator next applies the handle member 2l over thecoupling member I 4 so that the tapered body I5 snugly fits into the similar shaped recess 23 with the ears l6l6 snugly fitting into the countersinks 24-44. The screw threaded openings -20 now aline with screw openings -25 which extend from the top of the hand grip body 22 to the counter-sinks 24 and passing through the openings 25-25 are fastening screws 26-26, which have their inner ends threadedly engaging the threaded openings 20 2ll, while the head ends'of the screws are countersunk in the top of the hand grip body 22. It will now be appreciated that rotation may be imparted to the valve stem II by grasping the handle member 2| and imparting a turning movement thereto, for the handle member 2| is fixedly attached to the coupling member l4 and the coupling member in turn is fixedly attachedto the outer end of the valve stem ll.

Whereas I have illustrated a steam or hot water valve l0, itwill benunderstood that my improved handle replacement may also be used in con' nection with the valve stems of waterfaucets. It is also possible to attach my handle replacement to valve stems in which the outer end of the valve stem is screw threaded for the purpose of receiving a handle, and in instances where the screw threads may become stripped. -In such case, the threaded end of the valve stem may be filed away to provide the square portion [2.

While I have shown and described what I coning therethrough, the walls of the lower portion of said opening being round and the opposed walls of the upper portion thereof being square and converging upwardly to telescope and wedgingly fit upon "the outer squared end portion of a valve stem, a set screw threaded in one side of said body adjacent the bottom thereof, opposed fiat ears extending from said body atthe bottom thereof and having threaded openings therein; a hand grip including a handle body having a recess complementary to theshape of said coupling member and opening through the underside thereof to snugly receive said coupling memher, said handle body having openings extending from the top thereof to said recess and registering with the threaded openings in said ears, and screws passing through the openings in the handle body and threaded into. the threaded openings-in said ears.

2. A handle replacement for the stems of steam valves and the like comprising a coupling member constructed of malleable metal having an opening extending therethrough the lower portion of said opening being round in cross section to fit about the round portion of a valve stem and the upper portion being square in cross section and upwardly tapered to effect a wedge fit upon the square end of a valve stem, a set screw threaded in one side of said body adjacent the bottom thereof, a hand grip having a recess in the underside thereof which is of ashape and size complementary to said coupling member and fitting thereover, and fastening means for securing said hand grip to said coupling member for turning movement therewith.

WILLIAM ASHENDORF. 

